Bug 417249

Summary:	Kdenlive cannot render from command line
Product:	[Applications] kdenlive	Reporter:	Terry Hancock <digitante>
Component:	Rendering & Export	Assignee:	Jean-Baptiste Mardelle <jb>
Status:	REPORTED ---
Severity:	wishlist	CC:	fritzibaby
Priority:	NOR	Keywords:	triaged
Version First Reported In:	unspecified	Flags:	fritzibaby: Brainstorm+
Target Milestone:	---
Platform:	Other
OS:	Linux
Latest Commit:		Version Fixed/Implemented In:
Sentry Crash Report:

Description Terry Hancock 2020-02-07 00:24:35 UTC

SUMMARY
Kdenlive LACKS any way to render from command line

STEPS TO REPRODUCE
1. Open a terminal on a computer with Kdenlive fully installed
2. Type $ kdenlive my_kdenlive_edit.kdenlive --render
  (that's about the simplest interface I can imagine, anyway)

OBSERVED RESULT
Kdenlive opens the edit up in the GUI and waits for interaction.

EXPECTED RESULT
It should render the project file to the video file described in the project file, using the video settings profile from the project file, and all of the other default settings that would apply, and then exit.

SOFTWARE/OS VERSIONS
It appears to still be true in 19.12.x, based on current forum questions, but I have only actually tested it in 17.12.3 on Ubuntu Studio.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

I am of course aware of some workarounds for this problem. It's possible to render with MLT directly. Or to use the 'kdenlive_render' helper tool -- but both require lots of command line parameters requiring inside knowledge of the installation and project settings, which of course, kdenlive has access to.

I had even considered using GUI automation tools to run this. But it really seems like this is an essential basic feature.

Consider this conversation from your forum, which illustrates the complexity of workarounds for this:

'rendering from command line a kdenlive script'
https://forum.kde.org/viewtopic.php?f=265&t=164334

Surely it would be fairly simple to implement this?